The 4th Annual Paddle for a Cause was held on June 12, 2011 with a record turn out of 74 Partcipants.

The event started and ended at the Farley State Marina at the Golden Nugget and was blessed with almost perfect conditions for the 22.5 mile paddle around Absecon Island.

Just as the founder of the event, Mike May, had intended it, this is one tough track and even tougher with the just slightest bit of Jerzy soup in the ocean. However the rough downwind ocean portion of the course gave way to a beautiful back bay paddle into a light breeze and (just to make it the real deal) against the tide!
Graham Parker in the prone division was the fastest out of the entire field coming in at 4h26m. Right behind him in the Stand up divison was Mark Temme coming in at 4h26m.

Margo Pellegrino in the Stand up Divison won a the womens division with a outstanding time of 5h17m. Coming in 2nd was Stepanine Shideler with a time of 5h56m.

This year’s winner Gram Parker stayed on course to finish in a time of 4 hours 22 minutes. I’d like to share a quote from Gram in the AC Press that sums up the mission of all who made the journey; “Today we went through pain for four hours. If you have cancer, you go through pain for years.”

As a reward for all who paddled the foundation hosted, which are now becoming somewhat legendary in these parts, an incredible after party on the Deck at the new Golden Nugget. Party goers and paddlers were treated to great live music and enough food to feed an army!

The event raised over $20,000.00 with donation still coming .The Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation will use the proceeds to help people financially battle cancer.